Evans backtracks on pre-season prediction after impressing for United

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has admitted he may have been slightly too honest in proclaiming at the start of the season that he would be heading for the Old Trafford exit door if he did not improve.

After making an excellent start to his United career, Evans' performances dipped last term.

The £17million arrival of Phil Jones from Blackburn provided more competition and there were serious doubts over the Northern Ireland international's future.

In form: Jonny Evans (right) has impressed for United recently

But Evans has responded to the challenge superbly, to the extent that - until last weekend's setback against Everton - Nemanja Vidic's absence since December with a serious knee injury had hardly been noticed.

Twenty-four-year-old Evans is delighted with his form, and concedes the comments he made during a pre-season interview in Boston might have gone slightly too far.

'Maybe I was too honest,' he said. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

'It was an honest opinion of myself, I guess.

'People thought I had a bad season but, in my mind, it was only a period of games in which I didn't play too well.

'One or two of those performances were highlighted by others but every player goes through that. It was up to me to find a way to get through it.

'Everybody needs to be challenged. You either rise to it or you don't, and if you don't then you don't deserve to be at a club like Manchester United.'

Evans does not regard his situation as
being any different to that of Paul Scholes, whose performances since
abandoning retirement in January were good enough to secure third place
in the prestigious Football Writers' Association awards earlier this
week.

It feels like Scholes has enjoyed an unchecked ride throughout his United career.

However, as Evans points out, the 36-year-old has faced many battles for his first-team slot.

'United always buy players because they want to improve,' he said.

'Paul has been here all his life, but look at the quality of midfielders who have been bought during the time he's been here.

'Juan Sebastian Veron and Owen Hargreaves are just the start.

'Paul has played almost 700 games, is regarded as one of the best players of all time and a legend at the club. But even he has had to overcome obstacles.'

Evans is now up to 125 appearances in his four seasons as a first-team regular, which says as much about the injury problems encountered by Vidic and Rio Ferdinand as it does about his own abilities, which persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to sell Gerard Pique back to Barcelona.

'When I came back from that loan spell
at Sunderland [in 2008], I never thought I would play more than 30
games in my first season,' Evans said.

Competition: Phil Jones (left) has rivaled Evans for a place in the side

'That was crazy, in the same way as I am sure Phil Jones didn't think he'd play as many games as he has done this year.

'Obviously we need a big squad to cope with the number of competitions, so you build up experience.'

Evans should have no doubts about still being at United next term, by which time he hopes to have secured a third Premier League winners' medal.

Next Monday's derby with Manchester City is dominating talk around the city and the outcome will almost certainly determine who finishes top.

But Evans is looking beyond that, and an intention to increase his seasonal average appearance statistics.

'I don't think about how many games I might end up playing,' he said.

'My aim is always to just get into the next team and then play well.

'Rio's on about 400 games and I know that took him by surprise a little bit.

'I've been here about four years and I've played 120-odd games - that's about 30 a season. Hopefully I can add a few more to that next year.'